The Power and Love of the Kazekage
by Manwaithiel
Summary: Gaara is raising Matsuri to be a great sandnin. Matsuri is teaching Gaara about love and friendship. Set in Naruto Shippuuden timeline. MxGaara
1. Matsuri and Gaara

Matsuri gritted her teeth in frustration. Training with Gaara was always hard for he expected much from his student. It was two months into his sand tutoring and she still hadn't got past lesson one.

Gaara watched his pupil with kind, firm eyes. "Matsuri, you have to try…"

"I can't!"

Gaara simply waited for her to continue her outburst.

"I can't, Kazekage-sama! I'm trying…I'm trying…I've tried! Every time I try to manipulate the sand, it just…sits there!"

Matsuri growled at the stubborn pile of sand that she had been trying to infuse with her chakra for weeks. Nothing seemed to be working. _Maybe Gaara was wrong…maybe I don't have the special ability to manipulate sand as he does…_

"Matsuri. No one every accomplished anything on the first try." She glared at him then, remembering that he was the Kazekage, she lowered her eyes apologetically. "I'm sorry, Kazekage-sama. I shouldn't be so disrespectful."  
"You're just irritated. But you're _never_ going to get anything out of this training if you remain frustrated. Relax."

Matsuri closed her eyes and took a breath. She was trying to relax; it just didn't seem to be working. Finally, she opened her eyes and taking one more breath, she formed the seals and attempted lifting up the sand.

Nothing happened.

Tears gathered in Matsuri's eyes. Gaara smiled gently. "Matsuri. Try imagining yourself within the sand; make it a part of your body. Like you did with that jhouyou. Remember?"

Matsuri did remember. She decided to try Gaara-sama's suggestion. She closed her eyes again and let herself slip into what her mind's eye saw as the very essence of the sand. She continued doing this and felt as if the sand really was a part of her own being. Matsuri opened her eyes…and stared in shock.

The sand hovered in front of her pleasantly. She directed her hands back and forth and it obligingly went in whatever direction she intended. Matsuri gave out a laugh and clapped her hands in delight.

"I did it! I did it!"

Gaara smiled gently at his student. "That's enough for today, Matsuri. I'm hungry."

"Me too!" The girl ran over to Gaara and grabbed his hand as they headed back to the Kazekage's mansion.

"Kazekage-sama…?"

"We're not training now, Matsuri. It's Gaara. Now what is it?"

"I was just wondering…how did you get that scar…on your forehead? No one will talk about it…" She trailed off when she noticed that his eyes clouded over. "Gaara?"

"Let's eat first," he replied as they entered the mansion. "I'll tell you a story afterwards."

--

Gaara had been training Matsuri since he rescued her from Seimei. She had excelled rapidly at taijutsu and genjutsu techniques. Ninjutsu, however, was a different story.

Gaara suspected that Matsuri had the capacity to manipulate sand as he did. He also realized that it could take several months for her to unlock this ability. So he began. It was a frustrating path, one that led to many arguments between the strict Kazekage and the discouraged Matsuri. After she accomplished her first manipulation, Matsuri excelled in her new craft, more so than she had in taijutsu and genjutsu. These abilities propelled her through her first chuunin exams and she was quickly put under consideration for jounin a few months afterwards. She was fifteen years old, just like her master Gaara-sama.

--

Matsuri listened silently as Gaara recounted the story of his uncle Yashamaru, explaining rather painfully how he had acquired the "love" kanji on his forehead. After he finished, Matsuri noticed a small tear gather in the corner of his left eye.

The girl leaned her head on his shoulder. Gaara flinched in surprise, then allowed her to settle comfortably in that position.

"He was wrong."

Gaara was puzzled. "Who was wrong?"

"Yashamaru. You were always meant to be loved, Gaara."

Gaara frowned. "Who loves me?" he said, speaking to no in particular.

Matsuri lifted her head from his shoulder and gazed at the Kazekage. Then she stood up and knelt in front of Gaara, locking her eyes with his. Gaara looked back at her questioningly.

Silently, the girl pulled out a kunai and put a small cut into her finger. Gaara's eyes widened in surprise. "Matsuri! What are you…?"

She placed the bloodied finger on this scar and held it there. Gaara felt a small prickling sensation. Then she removed her hand. Tears coursed down Matsuri's cheeks and she began to shake.

Gaara held her blood stained hand in his and gazed at the cut; it was so much like Yashamaru's cut all those years ago.

"Gaara…" her voice was quavering, "Gaara, I have an ability…"

He stared at her.

"I can…if my blood touches another person…I can see their deepest thoughts and all of their memories. I can see it…but I can also…feel it…all their happiness and sadness…and their pain. You are so…brave." Matsuri's eyes were downcast.

The tear that had formed in Gaara's eye slowly coursed down his cheek. "Matsuri…"

Matsuri looked up at him. "I love you, Gaara. And Temari does too. And Kankuro. Don't ever feel…unloved again…"

They sat there like that for almost an hour, staring into the other's eyes; saying a million things without ever saying a word.

--

The new jounin gazed out happily from the top of the Kazekage's mansion. Her dark eyes shone beautifully and her long blond hair whipped about in the wind. Gaara stood next to his student proudly.

"You did very well."

Matsuri's eyes danced. "I'm so happy! It's all thanks to you, Gaara-sama."

"Kazekage-sama."

Gaara turned to see a jounin patrol guard speaking to him. "Yes?"

"It's time for the meeting."

Gaara nodded. "I'll come back later, Matsuri."

Matsuri nodded and gazed contentedly back at the sky. Gaara disappeared to the meeting room.

The girl's eyes wandered over the clouds and city walls…and then her gaze froze. A great white bird was flying over the city, heading from the gates to the heart of Suna.

"Bird's like that don't exist in this desert."


	2. Battle With Deidara

**Note: It is probably a good idea to have watched the first couple episodes of Naruto Shippuuden. You need to have seen Gaara's battle with Deidara in its entirety or this story will make no sense whatsoever.**

Gaara listened to his pupil's tale of the great white bird that she had seen with her keen dark eyes. He said nothing, but rose and left the room. Matsuri knew he went to prepare for any unexpected visitors. Matsuri quietly slipped into her room and shut the door. She should be prepared too.

The girl quickly slipped her forehead protector around her dirty blonde hair. She bound her pouch to her left thigh and put in an assortment of shuriken and kunai. Black and white striped gloves with the fingers cut off protected her hands and she sported a pure white robe, black stretch Capri-like shorts, and a white shirt with sleeves that cut off just past her elbows. She wore no armor. Her blood was useful on the battlefield after all.

--

After Matsuri had mastered manipulation of sand to her master's satisfaction, she concentrated on her own specialty—the blood centered jutsu. The kunoichi's blood contained special properties that allowed her to see her opponent's mind with just a drop to the skin. This gave her an unnatural advantage on the battlefield and was superior for reconnaissance missions.

This power, like all power, had its disadvantages. Disregarding the obvious risk of too much blood loss, the mind of the jutsu's user could become severely tainted if it was used too much. It could literally drive the user mad from all the emotions and memories that would flood the mental plain after his or her blood touched the skin. Gaara warned Matsuri several times to be very cautious with her ability and to use it only when necessary.

Her blood had another distinct power. When she let it drop onto inanimate objects, sand for instance, the object came completely and totally under her control. She could make whole rivers bend to her will with just a drop of her own blood in the mix and right use of chakra. Because these techniques were particularly draining, Matsuri had increased her chakra control and stamina to compensate. Except in training, however, she had never had an occasion to use her blood jutsus.

--

Gaara let out a gasp as the sand finally fell over the side of the city walls. His battle with Deidara had completely drained him. But the city was safe. It would not be crushed underneath the massive amount of sand he had used to block Deidara's equivalent to an A-bomb. He let himself fall.

Deidara swooped in to collect the Kazekage…and was stopped short by a cloud of sand that pushed him back fiercely. This sand was not nearly the caliber of the Kazekage's, but the surprise of its arrival caused him to pause for an instant. Then he saw her.

A pretty kunoichi with dark eyes and dirty blonde hair had caught the Kazekage and suspended him in a bed of her own sand. She stood on her own sand platform, kunai out, obviously ready to strike. Her dark eyes glared at him viciously.

Deidara smiled. _This must be his apprentice…Matsuri, was it? She's a pretty one. And skilled. They say she has a mysterious power that she has never once had to use in battle. Well, I will bring it out then!_

"So is this the Kazekage's little apprentice, Matsuri?"

Matsuri glowered, her eyes smoldering.

"You don't seem very friendly. Come on, let's play!" With that taunt, he let out a small flock of his clay birds and aimed them directly for her. Explosions sounded in a cloud of dust.

"Too easy," he scoffed. He headed for the Kazekage again then froze. She still stood there, completely unfazed. _Like master, like student_. Deidara looked about to see the fragments of his clay birds embedded in sand. _So she can manipulate sand as well as he can. This will be harder._

Suddenly, an arm of sand was racing towards him. He dodged just in time but another one was quickly on its way. _Not this again_, he groaned. He flew about, irritated at the delay she was causing. Then, as quickly as it had come, the sand disappeared.

Matsuri waited patiently on her platform, looking at him with no emotion on her face whatsoever. Deidara eyed her suspiciously, then zoomed straight for her, attempting to end it quickly. Pulling out a kunai, he sliced at her as he flew past. Blood splattered everywhere.

Deidara turned to see her arm cut severely and the blood drenching her white robe. Her eyes remained unchanged—it was if she felt no pain though he knew that couldn't be true.

"You underestimate me."

Startled by her voice, he snapped his eyes to her face and chuckled. "You just allowed me to nearly cut your arm off."

"There is blood all over your bird."

"Yes, a pretty sight now isn't it?" _What is she getting at?_

Matsuri said nothing more, but formed her hands into a peculiar seal and muttered, "Ninja Arts, Blood Control Technique." Her hands went out.

Deidara's bird began racing around. He fought to control the clay object, but he felt his chakra being blocked by a foreign source of power. _Her blood controls objects that it touches?_ What a fascinating ability! And it was dangerous. This was a technique that could cost its user everything. Deidara noticed that she was no longer bleeding either. _So she knows medical Ninjutsu as well? Makes sense if your ability requires you to shed blood._

With one hand Matsuri raised a sand pillar and with the other raced Deidara's bird towards it. With a huge _boom_ the collision sent flying sand pieces everywhere and the clay shattered to bits. Deidara was now caught in Matsuri's sand. Here she let out another surprise. "Ninja Arts, Chakra Suppression Technique."

Deidara felt his chakra being sucked back into himself. Horrified, he realized that while he was a prisoner of her sand, he could not use any Ninjutsu. _This isn't good! There must be a way out of this…how?_ Deidara looked from side to side as sand began to cover him completely. Deidara noticed blood on his arm.

Then he screamed. It was if someone was infiltrating his mind, seeing all the secret places of his heart, all of his emotions. Everything that he had done with Akatsuki flashed through his mind. He saw dark eyes again and again as all his memories and their accompanying feelings were forced through his psyche.

_She can see me!_ Everything, he realized now that her blood gave her ultimate control over inanimate objects and psychological information on living things. _What immense power!_

Suddenly, the sand stopped moving. Deidara peered over at Matsuri and saw her slumped over on her platform, gasping for breath.

Matsuri cursed herself for being so stupid. _I've reached my limit. I shouldn't have explored his mind. But I had to see…why they wanted Gaara-sama…_

Deidara saw his opening and took it. With one last-ditch effort, he blasted his way from his sand prison and quickly formed a new bird that he flew over to the now unconscious Matsuri. She was breathing faintly and her blood stained robe was turning brown with air. He quickly scooped up both ninjas and headed for the city walls.

Sasori will be interested in her…and so will Akatsuki. I will gain great fame for bringing such a prize. 


	3. A Lesson In Love

Matsuri awoke in a dark room, surrounded by oddly colored stones and the soft _drip drip_ of water falling from the ceiling. The cave was cold and the floor she lay on was uncomfortable. She struggled to sit up.

Looking around, the girl noticed that the place was dimly lit with torches and it smelled of algae and decay. It was pretty disgusting. She struggled to collect her thoughts, trying to remember how she had ended up here.

Then it all came back to her. The fight, her last ditch effort, fading into unconsciousness.

_Gaara_.

They had wanted him…badly. So where was he now? Matsuri struggled to her feet and let out a cry when she saw Gaara sprawled out on the floor in the middle of a circled area absolutely motionless. She started to run towards him and felt a rough hand pull her shoulder back sharply. The girl gasped slightly and spun around. Deidara was grinning at her with merciless eyes.

"You can't save him now."

Matsuri glared at her jailor and shoved his hand away. "What are you going to do with him?"

"Take out the demon that everyone fears in him."

Her eyes grew wide. "But…that means…"

"That he'll die. Not that it matters. No one cares about Jinchuuriki anyway."

Matsuri grit her teeth and balled her hands into fists. "Shut up."

Deidara laughed. "I stand corrected. _One_ person cares for the demon of the sand…"

Smack 

The man didn't even see her hand coming. He quickly composed himself and chuckled. "He chose an apprentice with claws. Matsuri, isn't it? Yes, we've learned all about you. You were one of the weakest shinobi in your class…no one thought you would amount to anything. And now here you are! Getting personal training from the Kazekage himself. It is a pity, I suppose, that you will have no one to teach you now, but I'm sure there are other strong ninja in the Sand. That's all he's useful for, isn't it?"

Matsuri eyes were red with rage. "How dare you! I care nothing for his strength! That has nothing to do with it at all!"

"Ah really, Matsuri-kun? And what precisely makes you stay with the demon child?" That's all he's useful for, isn't it?"

"_You _wouldn't understand."

"I bet it's something to do with 'love' or whatever you want to call it. There is no such thing as love. Your village elected the Jinchuuriki Kazekage because he was powerful. There is no other reason to embrace a demon possessed person."

"He's not demon possessed."

"But of course he is. That defines his existence."

"No it doesn't."

"Then what does?"

"Himself."

Deidara scoffed. "Well, no more about that. It's almost time to begin."

"Begin what?"

The man grinned wickedly. "Killing your 'beloved' master."

Matsuri froze, stunned and frightened. Then she turned to run towards Gaara. Suddenly she slipped and fell at the feet of another Akatsuki. She lifted her face to encounter crimson red eyes. It was none other than Uchiha Itachi.

"Now, now," purred Deidara, "Not so fast, Matsuri-kun."

Itachi glanced unfeelingly at the woman at his feet. "Do I need to enact a hypnosis?"

"It's not necessary. She's not _that_ strong." Itachi shrugged and headed towards the circle where other Akatsuki were gathering.

Matsuri watched in horror. The various members formed seals she had never seen before. A huge statue with gaping eyes looked out over the assembly. _They're going to kill him…_

The leader shouted, "Begin!"

Matsuri wasn't sure what made her fall to her knees: the colossal boom of the chakra being used or Gaara's screaming. Whatever it was, it paralyzed her. Tears poured down her face, her very heart seemed to fall to ribbons within her.

"Gaara-sama…" "Yes, Matsuri?" 

"_Why don't you love?"_

_Gaara paused for a moment before replying. "There is no one who will let me love them…yet. I hope that someone will eventually get past my demons and see…me…"_

_Matsuri looked at the troubled Kazekage and reached out her hand to grasp his. He looked at her with wonder in his eyes. _

"_Love me."_

_Gaara flinched in surprise. "I am destined to hurt those close to me. Are you willing to endure a love such as that?"_

_Matsuri stepped towards him her eyes meeting his as they did the first time she had said she loved him. But this was different…this love had a different texture and taste. She smiled gently. "I would die for you. I love you. Love me."_

_They had stared at each other for several minutes, Gaara's hand firmly grasped in Matsuri's. Then Gaara bent down and planted a kiss on Matsuri's lips. It was brief and awkward, but tender and loving. "I love you." The whisper sent a smile that played across the girl's face. _

"_I know."_

The memory echoed again and again. _I would die for you_. She had said that. And now she sat there, watching her most beloved master and friend die at the hands of the Akatsuki.

Something snapped in Matsuri.

She walked forward purposefully, mad resolution in her dark eyes. She _would_ save him…he had saved her, after all. And she would not be accused of speaking empty words. _You will not die, Kazekage-sama. Everyone needs you. Not me._

A tidal wave of sand erupted in the circle of Akatsuki.


End file.
